The buildings pulsed with light, responding to the movement of those within them, as if the city itself breathed along with its people.
And at the center of it all stood a figure.
Not the woman.
Him.
Jude felt his breath catch. It wasn't just someone who **looked** like him. It wasn't a trick of memory or illusion. The man standing at the heart of the city's golden light was him. Or rather, who he had been.
His past self stood with a presence Jude could barely comprehend. Power rippled off him in waves, not chaotic, not destructive, but controlled, commanding. He was speaking to someone, though the words were lost in the hum of the city's energy. The people around him watched with reverence.
Not fear.
Not submission.
Respect.
Jude swallowed. "Who…"
The woman's voice was gentle. "You were one of the first."
